1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel cell vehicle which makes it possible to prevent degradation of a fuel cell for performing power generation by electrochemical reactions of reactant gases (oxygen-containing gas and fuel gas), highly efficiently collect regenerative electric power generated by a drive motor, and improve power generation efficiency of the fuel cell.
2. Description of the Related Art
A fuel cell employs a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) which includes an anode, a cathode, and a solid polymer electrolyte membrane interposed between the anode and the cathode. The solid polymer electrolyte membrane is formed by impregnating a thin membrane of perfluorosulfonic acid with water, for example. Each of the cathode and the anode has a gas diffusion layer such as a carbon paper, and an electrode catalyst layer of catalyst particles of platinum alloy or the like (hereinafter also referred to as the Pt catalyst) supported on porous carbon particles. The carbon particles are deposited uniformly on the surface of the gas diffusion layer. The electrode catalyst layer of the anode and the electrode catalyst layer of the cathode are fixed to both surfaces of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, respectively.
A technique of suppressing degradation of the fuel cell is proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2007-005038 (hereinafter referred to as JP 2007-005038 A). In the technique proposed in JP 2007-005038 A, power generation of the fuel cell is performed such that an oxidation reduction electric potential where sintering phenomenon of the Pt catalyst (aggregation of the Pt catalyst) occurs is avoided.